Tuesday, 1 June 2021 - Seasonal Climate Summary for Greater Sydney - Product code IDCKGC25L0
Greater Sydney in autumn 2021: Wetter and cooler than average
Above average rainfall and cooler than average temperatures
Dry end to autumn
- Despite a dry April and close to average May, March rainfall was at least three times the average at most sites, resulting in above average autumn rainfall.
- Generally rainfall was at least 25% more than the 1961–1990 average
- Some sites recorded more than twice their long-term average rainfall for autumn.
- Most areas experienced very heavy rain over the period from 17 to 26 March.
- A coastal trough combined with a cold front, and brought heavy rain at the start of May.
- Some sites had their highest autumn daily rainfall on record.
- Some sites had their highest total autumn rainfall on record or their highest total autumn rainfall for at least 20 years.
Cooler than average
- Many sites recorded cooler than average temperatures during autumn, particuarly for minimum temperatures.
- Daytime temperatures were cooler than average for March, and during April were the coolest since April 2017.
- Mean minimum temperatures were close to average during March and cooler than average during April.
- Katoomba recorded its lowest autumn temperature on record, which was the coolest night since 26 July 1986.
Sydney (Observatory Hill)
- Total rainfall for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 499.4 mm, which is 25% more the long-term average of 375.5 mm at the former Sydney (Observatory Hill) site.
- The mean daily maximum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 23.6 °C, which is 1.3 °C more than the long-term average at the former Sydney (Observatory Hill) site.
- The warmest day was 31.2 °C on 8 March, and the coolest day was on 29 May when the temperature reached 16.0 °C
- The mean daily minimum temperature for Sydney (Observatory Hill) was 14.6 °C, which is 0.1 °C less than the long-term average at the former Sydney (Observatory Hill) site.
- The coldest morning was 7.8 °C on 16 May, and the warmest morning was on 12 March when the minimum temperature was 21.4 °C
Extreme rainfall and flooding in March
- Extreme multi-day rainfall and significant flooding affected most of New South Wales over the period from 17 to 26 March.
- The Hawkesbury–Nepean catchment in Sydney experienced its most significant flooding in more than 30 years.
- More information on the rainfall and flooding is available in Special Climate Statement 74.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Extremes in autumn 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Hottest day |
35.6 °C at Bankstown Airport AWS on 1 Mar 35.6 °C at Richmond RAAF on 1 Mar |
| Warmest days on average |
24.0 °C at Penrith Lakes AWS |
| Coolest days on average |
16.7 °C at Mount Boyce AWS |
| Coldest day |
6.9 °C at Mount Boyce AWS on 15 May |
| Coldest night |
-5.1 °C at Katoomba (Farnells Rd) on 30 May |
| Coolest nights on average |
8.0 °C at Mount Boyce AWS |
| Warmest nights on average |
16.1 °C at Sydney Harbour (Wedding Cake West) |
| Warmest night |
22.2 °C at Sydney Harbour (Wedding Cake West) on 10 Mar 22.2 °C at Norah Head AWS on 12 Mar |
| Warmest on average overall |
19.2 °C at Norah Head AWS |
| Coolest on average overall |
12.4 °C at Mount Boyce AWS |
| Wettest overall |
768.7 mm at Katoomba (Farnells Rd) |
| Wettest day |
205.3 mm at Mt Irvine (Booralee) on 22 Mar |
| Strongest wind gust |
104 km/h at Wattamolla AWS on 6 May |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Record highest autumn daily rainfall | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
||||
| Oakdale (Cooyong Park) | 166.0 | on 21 Mar | 162.1 | on 16 Apr 1969 | 45 | |
| Collaroy (Long Reef Golf Club) | 152.2 | on 21 Mar | 119.6 | on 13 Apr 1971 | 39 | |
| Mt Irvine (Booralee) | 205.3 | on 22 Mar | 117.0 | on 1 Apr 2009 | 35 | |
| Mangrove Mountain AWS | 130.0 | on 21 Mar | 124.0 | on 30 Mar 2002 | 27 | |
| Mount Boyce AWS | 110.8 | on 21 Mar | 105.2 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 27 | |
| Badgerys Creek AWS | 109.2 | on 21 Mar | 83.6 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 26 | |
| Penrith Lakes AWS | 105.4 | on 21 Mar | 85.6 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 26 | |
| Gorokan (Goobarabah St) | 111.0 | on 21 Mar | =111.0 | on 24 Apr 2008 | 25 | |
| Lower Mangrove (Popran Rd) | 149.0 | on 21 Mar | 136.8 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 23 | |
| Blackheath (Wombat Street) | 140.0 | on 21 Mar | 113.0 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 22 | |
| Concord (Brays Rd) | 127.2 | on 21 Mar | 124.0 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 22 | |
| Abbotsbury (Fairfield (City Farm)) | 110.0 | on 21 Mar | 75.0 | on 21 Apr 2015 | 21 | |
| Menangle Bridge (Nepean River) | 86.0 | on 21 Mar | 84.0 | on 1 Mar 2007 | 21 | |
| Wyong (Mount Elliot) | 133.0 | on 21 Mar | 131.0 | on 22 Apr 2015 | 21 | |
| Mount Annan (Australian Botanic Garden) | 92.0 | on 21 Mar | 86.0 | on 19 Apr 2012 | 20 | |
| Record highest autumn total rainfall | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (mm) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for autumn |
||
| Mount Boyce AWS | 655.0 | 479.4 | in 2017 | 27 | 250.0 |
| Mangrove Mountain AWS | 716.4 | 582.0 | in 2017 | 26 | 316.8 |
| Penrith Lakes AWS | 496.0 | 352.8 | in 2015 | 26 | 174.6 |
| Badgerys Creek AWS | 445.8 | 361.8 | in 2015 | 25 | 182.3 |
| Blackheath (Wombat Street) | 750.0 | 522.0 | in 2009 | 21 | 269.1 |
| Abbotsbury (Fairfield (City Farm)) | 434.0 | 362.0 | in 2015 | 20 | 194.0 |
| Highest autumn total rainfall for at least 20 years | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Observed (mm) |
Most recent higher |
Average for autumn |
|||
| Mount Wilson (Clarine) | 653.5 | 756.1 | in 1978* | 349.4 | |
| Camden (Brownlow Hill) | 431.0 | 476.6 | in 1988* | 200.4 | |
| Richmond - UWS Hawkesbury | 461.1 | 566.6 | in 1989* | 214.8 | |
| Springwood (Valley Heights) | 643.2 | 650.1 | in 1989* | 288.4 | |
| Katoomba (Farnells Rd) | 768.7 | 812.0 | in 1989* | 391.9 | |
| Kurrajong Heights (Bells Line of Road) | 664.1 | 696.0 | in 1989* | 340.7 | |
| Bringelly (Maryland) | 409.0 | 587.4 | in 1988* | 214.0 | |
| Camden Airport AWS | 423.2 | 517.9 | in 1988* | 213.5 | |
| Faulconbridge (St Georges Crescent) | 645.0 | 646.4 | in 1990* | 293.5 | |
| Wedderburn (Booalbyn) | 444.0 | 610.0 | in 1978* | 218.2 | |
| Campbelltown (Kentlyn (Georges River Roa | 413.0 | 525.9 | in 1988* | 219.8 | |
* note: there are gaps in the historical record at this site, so it is possible a higher value has gone unreported
| Record lowest autumn temperature | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New record (°C) |
Old record |
Years of record |
Average for autumn |
|||
| Katoomba (Farnells Rd) | -5.1 | on 30 May | -2.8 | on 31 May 1977 | 58 | 8.8 |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
| Summary statistics for autumn 2021 | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum temperatures (°C) |
Minimum temperatures (°C) |
Rainfall (millimetres) |
||||||||||
| Mean for autumn 2021 |
Diff from average |
Highest for autumn 2021 |
Mean for autumn 2021 |
Diff from average |
Lowest for autumn 2021 |
Total for autumn 2021 |
Average for autumn |
Rank of autumn 2021 |
Fraction of autumn average |
|||
| Badgerys Creek AWS | 23.4 | -0.5 | 34.9 | 1 Mar | 10.9 | -0.6 | 2.2 | 23 Apr | 445.8 | 182.3 | highest | 245% |
| Bankstown Airport AWS | 23.6 | 0.0 | 35.6 | 1 Mar | 12.4 | -0.4 | 4.6 | 16 May | 398.6 | 249.4 | high | 160% |
| Camden Airport AWS | 23.0 | -0.8 | 34.2 | 1 Mar | 10.4 | -0.6 | 0.7 | 20 May | 423.2 | 213.5 | v high | 198% |
| Campbelltown (Mount Annan) | 34.8 | 1 Mar | 10.8 | -0.5 | 2.4 | 20 May | 359.8 | 188.9 | v high | 190% | ||
| Canterbury Racecourse AWS | 22.9 | -0.5 | 31.1 | 8 Mar | 12.0 | -0.9 | 4.1 | 20 May | 520.8 | 271.4 | high | 192% |
| Cooranbong (Lake Macquarie AWS) | 23.4 | -0.8 | 32.4 | 9 Mar | 11.3 | -0.7 | 2.8 | 20 May | 504.0 | 288.5 | v high | 175% |
| Gosford AWS | 22.8 | 30.7 | 1 Mar | 13.1 | 5.5 | 19 May | 590.4 | |||||
| Holsworthy Aerodrome AWS | 22.9 | 34.5 | 1 Mar | 11.9 | 3.0 | 20 May | 400.6 | |||||
| Holsworthy Defence AWS | 22.3 | 35.2 | 1 Mar | 11.6 | 4.2 | 20 May | 404.8 | |||||
| Horsley Park Equestrian Centre AWS | 23.0 | -0.8 | 35.0 | 1 Mar | 12.0 | -0.7 | 3.4 | 17 May | 371.6 | 204.3 | v high | 182% |
| Katoomba (Farnells Rd) | 17.1 | +0.3 | 27.8 | 1 Mar | -5.1 | 30 May | 768.7 | 391.9 | v high | 196% | ||
| Mangrove Mountain AWS | 21.9 | 0.0 | 32.6 | 1 Mar | 11.2 | -0.9 | 2.4 | 16 May | 716.4 | 316.8 | highest | 226% |
| Mount Boyce AWS | 16.7 | -0.4 | 26.7 | 1 Mar | 8.0 | -0.7 | -0.8 | 16 May | 655.0 | 250.0 | highest | 262% |
| Norah Head AWS | 23.0 | +0.1 | 31.3 | 9 Mar | 15.5 | -0.5 | 8.4 | 17 May | 529.2 | 376.3 | high | 141% |
| Parramatta North (Masons Drive) | 23.2 | -0.4 | 34.5 | 1 Mar | 12.0 | -0.9 | 4.5 | 15 May | 440.0 | 270.5 | high | 163% |
| Penrith Lakes AWS | 24.0 | -0.5 | 35.5 | 1 Mar | 12.2 | -0.9 | 3.5 | 17 May | 496.0 | 174.6 | highest | 284% |
| Richmond RAAF | 23.6 | -0.5 | 35.6 | 1 Mar | 11.4 | -0.3 | 1.6 | 28 May | 425.2 | 187.0 | v high | 227% |
| Springwood (Valley Heights) | 21.4 | -0.9 | 33.4 | 1 Mar | 12.1 | -0.4 | 5.6 | 16 May | 643.2 | 288.4 | v high | 223% |
| Sydney (Observatory Hill) | 23.6 | 31.2 | 8 Mar | 14.6 | 7.8 | 16 May | 499.4 | |||||
| Sydney Airport AMO | 23.1 | +0.2 | 33.1 | 8 Mar | 14.8 | +0.5 | 7.7 | 16 May | 457.6 | 320.9 | high | 143% |
| Sydney Harbour (Wedding Cake West) | 21.9 | -0.2 | 30.1 | 8 Mar | 16.1 | -0.4 | 9.8 | 16 May | ||||
| Sydney Olympic Park AWS (Archery Centre) | 23.6 | 33.3 | 1 Mar | 13.0 | 5.4 | 18 May | 436.2 | 296.3 | high | 147% | ||
| Terrey Hills AWS | 21.5 | -0.7 | 30.1 | 13 Mar | 13.3 | -0.6 | 5.8 | 17 May | 550.2 | 322.8 | v high | 170% |
Extremes Maps Records Summaries Important notes the top
Notes
The Seasonal climate summary, generally published on the first working day of each month, lists the main features of the weather in Greater Sydney using the most timely and accurate information available on the date of publication; it will generally not be updated. More extensive discussion of significant weather events, along with later information and data that has had greater opportunity for quality control, will be presented in the Monthly Weather Review.
This summary includes data from observing sites in or near the Greater Sydney “Greater Capital City Statistical Area” (GCCSA). The Australian Bureau of Statistics designed the GCCSAs to “include the population within the urban area of the city, as well as people who regularly socialise, shop or work within the city, and live in small towns and rural areas surrounding the city. It is important to note that GCCSAs do not define the built up edge of the city. They provide a stable definition for these cities and are designed for the output of a range of social and economic survey data.”
This statement has been prepared based on information available at 9 am on Tuesday 1 June 2021. Some checks have been made on the data, but it is possible that results will change as new information becomes available.
In some situations, some or all of the rainfall is in the form of hail or snow. In these cases the totals given are for the water equivalent: the depth of liquid water that results from melting any frozen precipitation. There can be significant 'undercatch' of snow in strong winds, meaning the true precipitation can be higher than that reported.
Averages for individual sites are long-term means based on observations from
all available years of record, which vary widely from site to site.
They are not shown for sites with less than 10 years of record, as they cannot then be calculated reliably.
The median
is sometimes more representative than the
mean
of long-term average rain.
The Rank indicates how rainfall this time compares with the climate record for the site,
based on the
decile ranking
(very low rainfall is in decile 1, low in decile 2 or 3,
average in decile 4 to 7, high in decile 8 or 9
and very high is in decile 10).
The Fraction of average shows how much rain has fallen this time as a
percentage of the long-term mean.
Where temperature area averages are mentioned, they are derived from the ACORN-SAT dataset.
Further information
- Media
- media@bom.gov.au (03) 9669 4057
Unless otherwise noted, all maps, graphs and diagrams in this page are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence
